


a sanctuary, safe and strong (i’ll be there for you)

by simonspeaks



Series: Nonbinary Neville [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Harry Ron and Hermione aren't there: no I have no way of explaining that, Neville and Ginny are besties fight me, Neville and their plants, Neville is loved, nonbinary Neville, there's no war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:40:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23259307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simonspeaks/pseuds/simonspeaks
Summary: Neville returns for their 7th year to the comfort of the Gryffindor common room, their friend, Ginny, and their plants. They're happy and loved (and also nonbinary).
Relationships: Neville Longbottom & Ginny Weasley
Series: Nonbinary Neville [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2083830
Comments: 12
Kudos: 32
Collections: HP TransFest 2020





	a sanctuary, safe and strong (i’ll be there for you)

Neville had never felt more cared for and admired than when they returned to Hogwarts their 7th year to see students of all ages unloading plants, which had been carefully packed into their bags, onto almost every surface in the Gryffindor common room.

They stood right in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, which was still swung open from the constant stream of students.

“Oi, Neville!” A voice from behind him sounded.

Neville looked around. “Sorry, Dean.” They walked into the commons room and off to the side, while a crowd of the remaining Gryffindors came in behind them. Trevor croaked comfortably from Neville’s chest pocket.

Ginny walked around the room, sure in her step, giving tips as to where to put certain plants. “That looks like devil’s ivy so be sure to put it in a place where it gets a few hours of sun every day but not directly in front of the window.- And, hey! Don’t grow nightshade in here.” She sighed and turned to Neville, her face lighting up in a smile.

“I see you’ve spruced up the place.”

“This is all your doing. Come on, I’ve got something to show you.” Ginny walked up the staircase to the girls’ dorms.

Neville stopped at the base of the stairs. “Ginny, you know I can’t.”

Ginny turned back to look at them.“Have you ever tried?”

Neville shook their head.

“Up, then. This’ll be easier than me bringing it out.”

Neville sighed and stepped onto the bottom step. Nothing happened. So they took another, and another, and soon enough they were up by Ginny. 

She clapped their back and beamed. 

She showed them into the 6th year girls’ dormitory, which was empty save for a very large plant that sat in front of the tall window in a pot the size of a cauldron. It had a bunch of fronds and looked like a mix between a fern and a tree. 

“What kind is it?” Neville stepped closer, their eyes growing wide and a smile easing its way onto their face.

“Norfolk Island Pine. Got it when Dad took us to look for muggle things a couple weeks ago.” Ginny stood confidently, her stance sure. “You like it?”

Neville turned to her. “It’s beautiful.”

A ringing of a bell sounded from the common room, grabbing their attention. “House meeting!” 

They headed down the stairs, Ginny telling them how to care for the plant.

One of the prefects stood in front of the fire, with the other five beside them. They smiled when they saw Neville. “Ah, thank god you’re here. Neville is going to tell you all about the restrictions on plants. Take it away.”

“Uhh.” Neville swallowed. With everyone there, it was about 80 people. One of the second years gave them a thumbs up, and they spoke up. “Well, first of all, we can’t have anything dangerous in here. That means no snapping, biting, screaming plants. And no thorns if you can help it. Be nice about space. If your plant is big enough we’ll put it out in the greenhouse.” They looked around at the crowd of Gryffindors. “And if you want any help, I’ll be here.”

* * *

  
  


Neville stood in one of the greenhouses, caring for some plants. In the nearest greenhouse, they heard screams. It was mandrake season, and the second years were learning all about them. 

Their sleeves were rolled up their arms, showing off some freckles. They brushed the hair that tickled their cheek, placing it behind their ear. The screaming subsided, leaving Neville alone with their thoughts. The greenhouse was quiet, save for the faint sound of Professor Sprout teaching. 

They would go check in on the other plants in the Gryffindor greenhouse. They’d built it last year, during the beginning of autumn. It was a place for all of their dangerous or large plants to go once the commons room had begun filling up. Dean and Ginny had helped them the most, and some of the younger kids had sat and watched as the chilling breeze passed them by. 

Professor Sprout had helped them, made sure they knew what they were doing, and double-checked it was airtight before she let it be used. 

They’d began by putting some of the larger and more dangerous plants in there, and then it became plants that wanted a more tropical environment, and eventually, it was opened up to all of them. 

Neville thought about how it had all started. How they’d started growing plants of their own in Professor Sprout’s greenhouse, how she’d been the first one to truly believe in them. How other kids had started asking for help in herbology, and began bringing plants of their own. 

Neville smiled as they watered a looming spark plant that would need to be planted outside soon. Neville had planted this tree as a sapling during their third year. And oh, how it had grown. 

The bell rang, pulling Neville out of their thoughts. A roar of sound came from the greenhouse next door as the kids went on their merry way.

* * *

The fire crackled in the hearth, warmth spreading through the room. It was getting late and only a few people were out in the common room, most of them doing homework. 

Neville was working on an essay for DADA when Roman, a fourth-year, approached them, holding a plant in their hand. 

“Can you help me?”

Neville looked up from their work, quill still in hand. “Yeah.” 

The plant was withered, most of the branches dead, and it had no leaves. It was a small rose bush no bigger than their hand. “It’s been like this for a while, ever since my nan didn’t water it for four weeks.”

“May I?” Neville asked, reaching out. Roman gave them the plant. They peered at it closer. Even though most of the branches were dead, there were some that were green from a certain point down. “Is this just a regular rose?”

The kid nodded. 

“You’ll need to cut it back, removing the dead parts. You can use the shears we have.” They motioned over to the open bookshelf that was full of plant tools. Big bags of soil sat on the bottom, with tubs of tools above them. Ginny and Neville had made it together last year when it was clear that they needed room to store all of their things. 

“Thanks!” 

“No problem,” Neville called back.

* * *

It was Saturday, which meant two things. 

One: Ginny had quidditch practice. The captain liked to start early, so Ginny would grab breakfast with the team and Neville would eat breakfast with whoever would have them.

Two: After breakfast with Dean and Seamus, Neville had to check in on the Gryffindor greenhouse. They did this nearly every chance they got- sometimes it was during class while they were meant to be working in a greenhouse for Professor Sprout. But she wouldn’t know they snuck off for a few minutes when they got the chance. Neville was glad to not have to worry about sneaking off without Prof. Sprout finding out. 

They decided to leave the door open and let some fresh air in as they worked. The day was surprisingly hot, and soon Neville was rolling up their shirt sleeves and searching through their pockets for a hair tie. No luck.

They cursed under their breath, sighed, and then went back to work on repotting dittany on a large table. The dittany was laid in front of them, its roots exposed to the humid climate of the room. 

The heat was getting to them, and soon beads of sweat started to form. The open door wasn’t doing anything to help. 

Neville swiped at the beads of sweat on their forehead, leaving a solid streak of soil. 

Neville grabbed an empty pot and a bag of soil from underneath the table. They put a small layer of soil at the bottom of the pot, before taking the dittany in hand and holding it inside the pot. They carefully put soil around the roots until they were all covered, and packed down the soil. 

They sighed, content with their work. 

“Hey.” Their eyes shot up to where Ginny, in full quidditch gear, was leaning on the doorway. 

“You’re missing something.” She slipped a hair tie from her wrist and strolled over, handing it to them. “Here.”

Neville reached out with hands caked with dirt. Ginny quickly retracted her hand. 

“Not with those hands. I can do it for you. Half or all?” Ginny walked behind them and began running her hands through their hair, evening it out. 

“Half.” Neville stilled themself while Ginny took her thumbs and gathered up the sides of Neville’s hair and pulled them back. She knotted the hair tie around it to make a small bun. “Thanks, Gin.”

“Yep.” She slid off to Neville’s side. “What’re you up to today?”

“Replanting the dittany, watering those that need it, pruning the devil’s rose.”

The devil’s rose was a muggle rose bush that someone had charmed to make the thorns sharper and the stems more flexible. It was moved immediately out of the common room when Neville saw it and had left them with more small scars than any other plant they’d dealt with.

One of the seventh years last year had brought it in and left it in Neville’s caring, saying that they could handle it better than anyone. Staring down the plant, Neville would be sure that it didn’t happen again.

Ginny took a look at the list of plants that needed to be watered and set to work, starting with the rana-manducans, which everyone was sure to keep Trevor away from. Any plants that ate animals were banished to the greenhouse. 

Neville went to every single plant and checked on their leaves, roots, and soil. They whispered gentle words to the pansies and brushed gentle hands over the large trunk of the yucca plant.

Neville and Ginny worked in a comfortable silence, that was occasionally broken by the offhanded comment.

“You do good work, Neville.” Ginny was standing up, watering an _engorgio_ ’d monstera deliciosa that they hadn’t wanted to change back.

“Hmm?” Neville looked up from the shrivelfig tree they’d been muttering kind words to. 

“Look at all this.” Ginny gestured to the greenhouse. “This is because of you. You inspired this.” She smiled and looked over at Neville. “You’re amazing.”

“I- thank you, Ginny.” Neville stood up from their plant and walked forward. “Hug?”

Ginny opened her arms and they held each other close, their heads resting on the others’ shoulder.

“You’re amazing and so talented, and I don’t know what I would do without you, Gin.”

They continued to hold each other for a long time.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] a sanctuary, safe and strong (i’ll be there for you) , written by simonspeaks](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26630332) by [Extoria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Extoria/pseuds/Extoria)




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